Annotated Bibliography on American Dream and Identity Issues

Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby (1925). na, 1991.

The Great Gatsby is a narrative written by Fitzgerald, an American author. The novel describes the lives of characters living on Long Island in the year 1922. The primary concern of the narrative is a young and mysterious Jay Gatsby and his obsession for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. Considered one of Fitzgerald’s great works, The Great Gatsby delves into the themes of materialism, isolation, resistance to change, and the events of the twenties that were cautioned regarding the American dream. Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born in the year 1896, and just like Nick as described in the Great Gatsby, he is an educated, thoughtful man who moves to New York after World War I. Like Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald is a sensitive man who idolizes a lavish lifestyle. The themes of materialism, isolation and the American dream will inspire and guide the arguments in the comparative essay.

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Hearn, Charles R. The American Dream in the Great Depression. No. 28. Praeger Pub Text, 1977.

Hearn Charles’s article The American Dream in the Great Depression among other articles he has written on success, biographies, and fiction uses this to describe the ways in which the Great Depression changed the American allegory of the man’s social mobility to achieve the best in society as seen in this literature. This inspirational presents America as a thriving nation regarding the economy that is within everyone’s reach. This is also a guide on how to succeed in the powerful game of business, and the personality traits that one has to possess to be able to achieve the American dream. This article is important in this comparative essay because it helps in describing the theme of the American dream in both the Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath.

Lewis, Roger. Money, Love, and Aspiration in the Great Gatsby [article]. Cambridge UP, 1985.

Lewis Roger digs deeper in the novel the Great Gatsby by exploring love, money, and aspiration. According to Roger, the Great Gatsby is a great American story, but it is not. The novel is not about perfect love, but of love that is corrupting individuals’ loves, and also it’s the story of an American dream that is not fulfilled. The love between Buchanan and Gatsby is one to be admired, but it fails to meet the requirements of a true love story. This article is important in this comparative essay because it explores how Buchanan and Gatsby fit into the American dream.

Steinbeck, John. The grapes of wrath. New York: Viking Press, 1939.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck was published in the year 1939. The narrative describes the conflict between the rich and the poor. The narrative also captures the events of the Great Depression and the nature of justice and equality as well as human dignity in America. The story is told of the Joads from Oklahoma who migrate to California which they consider as the Promised Land. The Joads face collisions with the haves and have bots in the society, which unfortunately is the reality in America. The drama evolves in an intense manner, and its scale of moral vision helps bring out the values of human dignity. This novel is important in this essay because the theme of the American dream is also evident in the Great Gatsby.

Modiano, Patrick. Villa triste. Editions Gallimard, 2012.

Villa Triste is one of the most accessible and seductive works Patrick Modiano has written. The narrative is about a man who flees from responsibilities in search of love and the meaning of life. The young man arrives in a French town in the 1960s fleeing from the menace and fear around him. The Proximity of Switzerland gives the narrator a sense of reassurance, as this is the country he is likely to flee to in case of any danger. This narrative by Modiano captures the lost youth, the fleetingness of time and identity. This narrative is important in this essay because it shares a common theme with the Great Gatsby. Identity is a common theme in both Villa Triste and the Grapes of Wrath.